one1.org.uk |

One is the integer that is located after zero and before two. The first of the non-zero numbers, it is also the first odd number. When a number is multiplied by one, it remains the same number it was become multiplication. As a result, one is called an empty product. One is also a factorial number; it is its own cube. Fascinating, right?

The glyph that the Western world employs to represent the number 1 has its origin in India where 1 was written as a horizontal line, in a similar fashion to the Chinese character. The Indian Nagari employed a curved line often with a small circle on the left which together resembled a modern day nine (9). The Nepali employed a similar glyph to the Nagari for the number one but the circle was made much smaller, the emergent glyph resembling the Western world’s modern day glyph must more closely. The occasional short line that is added beneath the vertical line in the Western modern glyph most certainly pertains to the Roman numeral I. Familiarity with the number one must be gained before a child can progress on to later numbers.